preparation for competition for a prize in languages. The great Mr. White, on being asked to patronise the High School at i

e doubtful as to the effect upon the girls' minds or bodies. It was too late, however, to withdraw them

l, wished to speak to her in the dining-room. This was no unusual occurrence, as Miss Mohun was secretary to the managing committee of the High School. But on the announcement Valetta b

want to

ittle Ha

ited no suspicion, till Miss Mohun

ong!' exclaimed siste

tell you presently. D

aving Gillian in no sm

it can be,' m

id Gillian, jumping up, as sh

t Ada, 'you had much

after my own sister,' re

do with the High School management, and for you to burst in would only annoy Miss Leverett and confuse the affair. Oh, I know your impulse of defence, dear Gillia

horrid accusation against

on't know anything about i

ht to

present, the more confusion there is, and the greate

doors were heard again, and something so like Valetta crying as she went upstairs, that Gillian was neither to have nor to hold, and made a dash out of the roo

Gillian; I want

at her aunt's hand more than perhaps she knew, and there was somet

you been doing to

e questions. Sit down, Gillian. You had better hear what I have to say before going t

ld,' broke out Gillian.

as I;

O

eaded Adeline. 'You mu

ate twist, but let he

re has of late been a strong suspicion of cribbing in Caesar in Valetta's class. They had got rather behindhand, and have been working up somewhat too hard and fast to get through the portion for examination. Some of them translated

as that to

everett, made the sort of confes

?' muttered Gillian.

m did it, from the notes that Vale

interject

y saw her helping Maura White, and they thought that was

Oh, don't believe i

g-room chiffonier a translation of that very book of Caesar that you

n enough for laying

owned

lence, and the

ightened, and not know

t puzzle over her lessons, and could get no help or advice, because none of us had come in. I suppose you were with Lilian, and she thought she might just look at the passage. She found Maura in the same difficulty

into it,' cried Gillian. 'I

; but Aunt Jane let her go without remons

d! Esprit

bad for Valetta to

e sooner; and whatever I say only exasperates Gillian the more. Poor little Val, she had not a f

Gill

ether it is merely that I rub her down the wrong way. I wonder whether this holid

en that class-mi

her cleverness does not compensate for a general lack of sense

and though, as a Merrifield, she defended her sister below stairs, on the other hand she was much more personally

tone as she stood over the little iron bed, whe

uch a thing? The Merrifields hav

nd Miss Leverett were-not so

ill papa an

y-must th

hink of deceivin

ing, only n

s to much

for you are always down at Ka

allied, and said with dignity, 'Do you thi

ft Gillian very uneasy as to how much the child might know or tell, and this made her proceed less violently, and more persuasively, 'Whatever I d

s one doesn't know how to look out, and I knew I was making nonsense, and you were out of the way, and there was nobody to help; and I knew mamma's own

was the

it. You know Aunt Jane said there was no

at was

e High School, and that would be too dreadful, for you know you said I was to do all I could for Maura. So I marked down things for her and she copied them off, and then Georgie and Nelly found it out, and, oh! they were dreadful!

, why didn't

me, and ask you what to do, but then you came in late, and when I began so

the stress of her own work and of the preparation for that of her pupil, who was treading

ed; only those two are so lazy and stupid, they would have ever so much more help than Maura or I ever wanted; and at last I was so worried and hurried wi

am glad you told no stories; but I wonder

ightfully busy

itty V

man. Miss Leverett is so angry. What do yo

t guess. I don't kno

ma and the boys to know,' sobbed Valetta

aid Gillian's conscience, and her voice said, 'Yo

companion sister as much for comfort as for conscience. 'Is Aunt Ja

were punished enough by having disgraced the nam

now it was di

at I could for you, and I should think they would feel that no one but our father and mother had a real right to punish you, but I can't

not helped her to the right kind of repentance. But then that highest ground-the strict rule of perfect conscientious uprightness-was

Valetta's confidence as she thought might soften displeasure, was Aunt Ada's observ

said Gillian, with a flush of alarm, as she

or she is such an engaging child! I would take the child away from the Hi

time to hear from Lilias before the next term begins. Indeed, it

Gillian; 'but it would b

nfession, and I do the same for not having looked after her be

ghed Gillian; 'the

training, the attempt to copy is common enough, for it is not to be looked on as an extraordinary and indelible disgrace. Do you remember Primrose saying she had broken mamma's heart when she had knock

at once when asked

s a great

said Miss Mohun. 'It is not at all as if she

ered herself to the common herd so as to need these excuses of her aunts, and then in the midst of that indignation

bid good-night a

ent to her, but it would remove her from the strain that certainly was not good for her. Indeed, they had serious th

let her try for th

f prizes by competition at first, I thought it would look sullen if I refused to let Valetta try. St

begin with that I thought she would easily get it, a

amble of Silverfold, the spur

lian, though there it is not competi

iligence, but does not work to a point. She wants a real han

overmuch for her, and had l

shoulders. Besides, I am not sure that it is her proper work that oppresses her. I think she has some other undertaking in

uch afraid of giving way to curiosity that y

I certainly never before realised how very different school supervision of young folks is from looking after them

oppression of the task, and she had so long given up hopes of having the prize to show to her mother, that she was scarcely grieved,

l. From one point of view, she said, she agreed with Miss Mohun that i

ered as a stigma upon her, since n

most thought it a

thers seem to think nothing at

or's wife,

d she wonders that I should be so severe upon such a frequent occurren

Mrs. Purvis? At le

roubled. She hopes that if her daughter has committed a

al evil in either! Ho

er sister who writes, and so nic

has generally taken pains with her tasks, and only obtained assistance in unusually difficult passages, so that we think that she is really not ill-prepared. If it is thought right that all the pupils concerned should abstain from the competition, we would of course readily acquiesce in the justice of the sente

WHI

and it quite agrees with Vale

o girls were by fa

w that, irrespective of the others, Valetta's parents had r

hen she had found she was the only on

t all. None of the others would hav

ur fault for n

de you do s

oss if I only asked a questi

their own work and not other

sh-I wish Mysie was here; every one is grow

't be such a b

Aunt Jane in to see what was the matter. She instantly stopped the scolding with w

ose fits,' said Gillian. 'She ca

e!' commanded A

enny treated Val, and quite amazed that Aunt Jane, of all people, should

n to subside, and at last a broken voice said, on A

like mamma's, and this little bit of

, 'mamma will soon come home,

done it if mamma

now you a

ma be ver

; but I am sure she will forgive you if you write it all to her. And,

because I thought every one made so much of it, and we

Mau

oes, because

o you

on her aunt's

and she told Theodore to go and buy her a tart to make up to her, but Theodore wouldn't, for he said he was ashamed of her. So she sent the maid. But when Maura had gone to bed

pe! She is a

and their mother never let him be punished. He was her pet. And Maura remembers being carried in to see poor Captain White just before he died, when she was getting better, but could not stand, and he said, "Truth before all, children. Be true to God and man." Captain Whit

' said Aunt Jane, 'and the Greeks are

had picked up a good deal from the

t our concern, Val, and I think with such a recollection of her good father, and such a sister to help her, Maura will not fall into the fault aga

d not,' sa

ter not go up for the examination, since you cannot be properly up to it. And you must write the whole history to your mother. Yes; I know

you tel

tell her how sorry you are, and that I really think you did not quite understand what you we

n't say

or writing in telling her that I am sorry my l

e weather was a valid hindrance, though a few weeks ago she would have disregarded such considerations. Besides, there was her own examination, which

her aunt's want of assimilation to herself, or to her mother's absence, she did not know, and with the further sense that she had not been the motherly sister she had figured to herself, but that both the children should show a greater trust and reliance on Aunt Jane than o

Kalliope good-bye. There she found an accumulat

t shows how long it is

since your aunt has been so ver

re's such a lot to do, and I have

brought her into a dilemma. She saw that Alexis's phrase was wrong, but she did not clearly perceive what the sentence ought to be, and she perplexed herself over it ti

but he did not seem to give his mind to the grammar half

n,' she said, 'and I shall f

r do that, Mi

u would be if you could not pass a girl. There! good-bye. Make a li

hand with an earnestness that